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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29044068">Buttercup Braided Mane</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annetagonist/pseuds/Annetagonist'>Annetagonist</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventing AU, Horse Girl Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Jaskier knows nothing about horses, M/M, bad fall while horse riding</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:54:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,852</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29044068</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annetagonist/pseuds/Annetagonist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Geralt is an Olympic eventer, having won gold at the Olympics on his horse, Roach. Deciding to compete in a low stakes event at the Pankratz mansion, Geralt enters to ride Roach to help keep her competition ready. Whilst there, he meets the enigmatic Jaskier, who he can't stop thinking about.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Buttercup Braided Mane</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I did put this in the tags, but this features an non-graphic description of Geralt falling off Roach and not getting back up, there's no character death, but I know from experience that bad falls can really impact people.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Geralt knew going into the jump that it was going to be bad. Roach shied at the jump due to the awkward angle and Geralt felt himself losing balance. His eyes closed before hitting the solid wood of the jump, and that was the last thing he knew.</p><p> </p><p>Going into the event, Geralt was confident, he was a three-time Olympic eventer, having won three gold medals, two for the teams, and one individually. He had a strong relationship with his horse, Roach, that was built on mutual trust. His foster father, Vesemir, had bred her, and Geralt had help raise her and been the one to break her in.</p><p>                It was supposed to be a simple 3-day-event. He wasn’t even competing as his usual Olympic level. The Pankratz mansion and surrounding gardens made for a beautiful area, the cross-country jumps were well maintained and the arenas for the dressage and show jumping were made with beautiful wood posts and good sand. Arriving at the location, he parked and led Roach off the float and into a nearby yard, giving her water and a biscuit of hay in her hay bag. He wasn’t competing until the next day and so had time to prepare Roach and double check his tack. Opening the tack cupboard on his float, his saddles where set on top of separate racks, each covered with a soft cloth cover and a saddle blanket underneath, correlating bridle hanging next to it, also kept in soft covers. At the bottom was an old all-purpose with a simple bridle next to it.</p><p>                As dressage was his first event, Geralt decided he would start there. Removing the saddle, he carefully checked every strap, despite having done so before leaving that morning, and the night before. He ensured that the black leather was well oiled and free of cracks, the stirrups were well polished, and the tree hadn’t been damaged. He ensured that there were no marks on the pure white saddle blanket and ran a fine comb over the underside to remove non-existent fur.<br/>
Setting the saddle and blanket back in its spot, cover replaced with the girth and stirrups lying over the top he lifted down the bridle, in the same black leather as the saddle, made sure the buckles were clean and stable, not likely to loosen. He checked the fastenings on the browband, ensuring all of the diamantes were glued in place and not coming loose. He ran his hand over the soft leather of the reins, letting them run through his calloused hand. The bit had been cleaned the day before, though it wasn’t really necessary, this bridle was only used for events, and kept well oiled and in a cover in between, it was too expensive to replace if something were to happen. There was nothing special about the nose band, it was the same black leather as the rest of the bridle with a subtle cushion on the underside. He gently replaced the bridle in its cover and hung it up next to the saddle. At the back was his formal wear, in covers were his black dressage tailcoat with a white shirt and stock, folded underneath were white jodhpurs, sitting on a shelf was a black top of the same shade as the coat, and beneath was a set of knee high polished black boots. Geralt decided to leave these, not as worried about his gear as he was about his horses. A rip in his coat only cost points on presentation, a damaged strap could be his life.</p><p>                Lifting his cross-country saddle down he was even more precise with his checks. Whilst a fall in dressage could still be bad, especially without a proper helmet, falling onto a solid jump, even with a helmet, is more likely to be a lot worse, even with his protective gear. Everything was in order, as it was before he left, and there were no marks on his dark red and black saddle blanket. The empty black number holder was hanging at the end of the saddle rack with a matching black medical armband attached to one of the straps. Geralt removed the medical insert and double checked the information. Ensured that Vesemir’s number was correctly entered into the emergency contact, his number plate and float plate were accurate, and all his medical history was correct. Hanging next to his dressage uniform was his cross-country gear, a simple black polo top with a dark red strip on the right shoulder on his left breast was a simple wolf head, the symbol of Vesemir’s stable, a pair of off-white jodhpurs, and his black body protector sitting on top of the shirt. Above the outfit sits a plain black helmet with a black and red helmet cover, and a pair of boots matching the dressage boots that sit next to them.</p><p>                His assessment of his show-jumping gear followed the same pattern as the two before, making sure everything was in one piece with no cracks, and free of any dirt. He was so engaged with his task that he didn’t notice the other man watching him, admiring the way his muscles flexed as he worked over the leather, checking every piece. Looking up at the feel of eyes on him, Geralt made eye contact with the stranger staring at him from the porch of a nearby cabin. The man winked at him and raised his mug before starting to move closer to him. Geralt froze slightly, unsure about interacting with a stranger, especially one as attractive.</p><p>                “Love the way you just sit at your float and brood.”</p><p>                Geralt continued to look at the stranger, not saying anything, not sure how to speak with the other man and his bright cornflower blue eyes, his hand frozen where it was rubbing the leather of the saddle with a soft cloth.</p><p>                “C’mon, you must have something to say to me, anything at all, three words or less.”</p><p>                “Who are you?”</p><p>                “Oh, he speaks, and with such an amazing voice as well. You can call me Jaskier, and you are?”</p><p>                “Geralt.” He kept looking at the other man, Jaskier, trying to learn what he wanted.</p><p>                “Well this has been a riveting conversation; I know I’ll be watching your progress closely this weekend.” With another wink, Jaskier moved back to his cottage and Geralt was once again alone trying to organise his thoughts after the strange encounter with the handsome stranger. No longer able to focus on his work, Geralt placed the saddle back on its rack and grabbed Roach’s brush bag, needing the easy task of brushing to properly process what happened. He could tell that Roach was judging him, but let it pass for now.</p><p> </p><p>                Waking up the morning of the first day of competition was always hard after sleeping in the back of his truck, but he was sure to do so early as to have the opportunity of a hot shower before the other competitors did so first. As a high-level competitor, Geralt wasn’t set to compete until later in the day, so he wore a pair of plain old jeans and a polo top similar to the one he wears for cross-country.</p><p>                With time to spare, Geralt took Roach for a short walk to loosen her up after being in the yard all night. He then plaited her mane and gave her a brush, making sure she would be well presented for the event. After which he decided to head to the spectator section to watch the lower levels compete. There were many talented riders that he anticipates will be competing against him in coming years, there were also many mediocre, but dressage is merely the first stage, the seemingly talented riders could be incur penalties or even be eliminated in the next two phases, whilst the less talented could be more experienced in jumping.</p><p>                “You know, I don’t understand much about this event, but I still love watching all the riders.”</p><p>                “Then why are you here?”</p><p>                “Normally I’m conveniently absent, but this year it caught me by surprise, and my parents insisted I should be here for once.”</p><p>                Geralt frowned slightly before managing to connect the dots, “I thought Pankratz only had one son named Julian?”</p><p>                Jaskier laughed, “They like to say that, they don’t approve of the name I picked for myself in the same vein that they don’t approve of my chosen career. You on the other hand, they would love, a 3-time Olympic gold medallist, they probably love that you’re here, I’m surprised they haven’t bragged about it yet.”</p><p>                “So you looked me up then?”</p><p>                “Of course, wanted to know who the handsome man camped in front of my cabin was. I also learned that you usually compete at a level higher than you are for this event, I’m curious as to why that is.”</p><p>                Geralt shrugged, “Sometimes it’s nice to have lower expectations. It’s easier on myself and Roach.”</p><p>                “I thought riding at a lower level wasn’t permitted?”</p><p>                “Yes and no, top level competitors can compete up to two levels below they’re established grade without penalty, but only provided a higher level isn’t available. I’m only riding down one, so I’m safe.”</p><p>                “Huh, the more you know. As much as my parents tried to convince me otherwise, I was never interested in horses or riding.”</p><p>                “Hmm.” Geralt didn’t know how to reply, and instead distracted himself looking at his watch. “Shit, sorry, I have to go tack up Roach and get ready to ride, I’ll talk to you later?”</p><p>                “Of course, I look forward to it!” Geralt was almost blinded by the smile Jaskier gave him, quickly turning away so the other man wouldn’t see his slight blush.</p><p> </p><p>                It didn’t take long for Geralt to tack up Roach, ensuring everything was buckled correctly and the girth was tight. Once she was ready, he tied her to the float via her halter and changed into his riding gear. White Jodhpurs, shirt, and stock, black jacket over the top, with polished black boots. He set his top hat loosely on his head and returned to his horse, removing the halter and gracefully mounting her. He pushed her into a walk, then trot and rode to the warm-up area. He was only competing against a handful of other riders, so the arena was fairly empty. As he moved through walking and trotting in circles, he recited the test through his head making sure he had everything remembered; as the first rider in his grade, he didn’t have the advantage of watching the others and had to be sure he remembered it himself. He gently kicked Roach into a canter, moving through flying changes and asking her to extend and collect at intervals, all while maintaining a straight back with his hands and heels down.</p><p>                When it was time, Geralt moved up the left side of the arena to present himself to the judges, and then rode back down the other side, ensuring that Roach was able to see everything and there would be no surprises. The bell rings and he pushes her into a collected canter to begin the test.</p><p>                The whole thing is over in less than 5 minutes, and before he knows it, he’s lowering his head and hand in the final salute before moving out of the arena at free walk giving Roach her head to stretch out.</p><p> </p><p>                The final score for the day wasn’t horrible, but it was far from his best, there were times where he knew he hadn’t collected Roach enough, and his shoulder-ins weren’t at top form, but this wasn’t a serious competition for him, so he simply made note of the things he needed to work on. Out of the 5 riders in his grade, he placed 3<sup>rd</sup>. He wasn’t too worried though, Geralt knew from past competitions that first place tended to drop poles in the show jumping, and second place’s horse was a bit flighty. He should be able to make up the difference over the next two days, provided nothing went wrong.</p><p>               </p><p>                Jaskier found him again as he was resting in an old camp chair drinking a cup of tea, his foster brothers would be laughing at him for that, they always rode in stockman’s challenges, or played polocrosse, events where it was not only accepted, but expected for drinks at night to be on strong side.</p><p>                “I saw your ride; you seem to have a good relationship with your horse.”</p><p>                Geralt shrugged, “I raised her and broke her in, she’s been with me for a long time. I won my first individual gold with her.”</p><p>                “Yes, I remember seeing that. I didn’t think the others were as good as you, but we’ve already established that I know nothing about this event.”</p><p>                Geralt smirked, that had become increasingly obvious during there few conversations. “I’m not worried, Cahir drops poles in the show jumping, and Eist’s horse tends to shy in the cross-country, I’m sure I can make up the difference.”</p><p>                Jaskier smiled and Geralt immediately knew it was a smile he wanted to see more of. “I must say, confidence is a good look on a man, you could always join me in my cabin tonight. Would be a lot more comfortable than this old truck.”</p><p>                Geralt had to admit that he was tempted by the offer, Jaskier was extremely attractive, and the idea of a real bed rather than a foam mat in the back of his truck sounded very appealing. “As tempting as that is, the higher grades are first tomorrow, and I feel like I won’t be getting much rest if I stay with you.”</p><p>                Jaskier’s laugh was clear and bright, and for a moment Geralt thought he could come to love the bright ridiculous man. “I guess you’re right about that, once this over then, I would love to get to know you more.”</p><p>                Geralt smiled slightly, “Ok, I’ll hold you to that.”</p><p>                “But only if you win, I don’t invite just anyone into my bed.”</p><p>                “My current gold medals not enough then?”</p><p>                “Of course not, they are a bonus, but I want a recent winner.”</p><p>                Geralt couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped him, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Good night Jaskier.”</p><p>                Jaskier smiled, “Good night Geralt, I look forward to watching you ride tomorrow.”</p><p>                Geralt watched as the other man walked back to his cabin, a small part of him regretting turning down his offer but telling himself he can wait until the end of the competition.</p><p> </p><p>                The next day shone bright and clear, Geralt was up early to shower and prepare Roach. There was only three competitors in the higher grade and though he still had a few hours until he needed to be ready, the course needed to be walked so he could accurately assess each jump and think about his lines. Putting on all his gear, except his competition boots, Geralt grabbed his short whip, Vesemir had always told him it was better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, and walked to the start of the course.</p><p>                The walk took nearly an hour, he carefully considered each jump, mentally noting which ones he and Roach would find more difficult and which ones would be easier. One combination looked like it could cause trouble; the fastest option had the two jumps offset, leaving a small overlap, the angle to align both would be too steep, so approaching at the right area was import. Geralt spent close to five minutes considering his options and thinking of the best path. Only when he was sure he knew how to approach the jump did he decide to move on, making note of the option, it would be slower, but if Roach refused or shied, it would be easier to do that than reattempt. The rest of the course seemed simple compared to that one obstacle, Geralt was sure that it would cause trouble for all of them.</p><p> </p><p>                As expected, the first part of the course was smooth, the jumps weren’t difficult and were lower than his usual level, but he knew his approach was off for the combination. As Roach approached the second part, he knew the angle was too steep, Roach shied to the side and Geralt fell, his last thought before darkness was of Jaskier’s clear blue eyes.</p><p> </p><p>                Jaskier watched in horror as the handsome rider he’d been flirting with fell as his horse shied away from the jump. Everyone watched for a second, expecting Geralt to get up and take hold of his horse, before calmly leaving the course to be checked by a paramedic. But this didn’t happen, upon realising that he wasn’t getting up one of the jumps judges was immediately calling for a halt of the other competitors, while the other was calling an ambulance. Jaskier felt like he couldn’t breathe, he knows, logically, that horse riding was dangerous, but this was the first time he’d seen a rider fall and not get up.</p>
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